Good GPS to use on a motorcycle?

Guys, I am planing a trip (all tarmac) on a bike and would like your opions /input on what type of GPS unit I should buy for this trip. A quick search of C-list show a number of types and sizes ranging from $30 - $100 which are in my price range. The issue is I have never used the stand alone units in the real world, only the factory installed units in cars.

Thanks Paul B

I just use whatever. Take a plastic sandwich bag and rubberband for when it rains.

Add a ram mount as well.

I have a Garmin StreetPilot 2820 - it's old, not exactly the fastest unit on the planet but it works well and you can still get map updates for it. If it is a unit you want to keep it's probably worth splashing out on the "lifetime map updates".

It's a waterproof unit designed for both car and bike use. Add a good RAM mount for the bike, run the power supply and Bob's your mother's brother.

I'm not sure if you can find them within the price range you mentioned yet but if you use it regularly I would say it's worth the money even if you pay a little more.

Is this the company you are talking about? Looks like a nice mount.

http://www.rammount.com/Products/MotorcycleMounts/tabid/128/Default.aspx#/wizard

Incase the hot link is not working

http://www.rammount.com/Gallery/universalxgripmountedbuell/tabid/4313/Default.aspx

Paul B

That's the one.

Thanks Tim

BTW, this is the GPS I was talking about:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-StreetPilot-2820-Automotive-GPS-Receiver-/330759998007

Looks like they're still a lot more expensive than I thought they would be. I've had mind for 4-5 years and I don't think I paid over a $100 more for it than people are asking for them now.

Unfortunately the waterproof m/c GPSs seem to be fairly expensive still.

That is a nice looking unit Tim but I have not been traveling that much in the last few years, but I have plans for the future

Paul B

I use a Magellan in my company car and hate it. For the bike I have a DeLorme. I bought it because I dig the topographic vs cartoon maps of the other brands and the map program on my laptop is more useful to me for ride planning. However, it has a learning curve (the manual is next to useless) and took me quite awhile to figure out. It can also be bundled with the SPOT tracker so my wife can find my body when I crash deep in the woods.

Passport now has one with built in radar detector looks nice but i not seen in person yet but that would be nice.

I'm using what was a mid-grade TomTom a few years ago. Not at all motorcycle specific. It hides in my fairing, so it doesn't get wet. I use iPhone apps in my car now, so the old skool GPS just lives on my bike now. I know there are much better GPS choices, especially for bikes, but it's what I already had, so I use it. Ram mounts FTW - no worrying about the stock suction mount falling off my windshield like it did in the car so much.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 255W. Used a bag/rubber bands for rain. Wish it was something more permanant but it worked the few time i needed rain protection.

Like many said already, RAM mounts are A-1. AWESOME products, awesome tech support.

Here is my set up:

I use a Garmin nuvi 550. It's about the cheapest waterproof unit I could find.

That nuvi 550 looks pretty good (especially from a price point of view). The one thing that bugs me about my 2820 is that it needs a power supply (no internal battery) so I always have to pre-wire the bike(s) for it.

I've got a Garmin 2720 and love it. Damn near indestructable as its been frozen, dropped, crashed, drowned, and generally beat to hell on the handlebars of my dual sport. I like that it doesn't have an internal battery personally, never really bothered me. RAM mounts rock!

Destruction Bay, Yukon back in April, nice and out of the way yet easy to read.

I have a Street Pilot (though I can't remember the number, it's a big old brick, slow to do much, no internal battery, but it won't die). Waterproof, as far as I will ride in, which means if I can see past my front wheel in the rain, it's still working. When it dies, I will replace it with another Garmin, likely a motorcycle specific one, since they tend to have decent size screens, and be the hardiest in regards to weather.